Young award-winning pianists to perform at Erskine College, Sigal Music Museum

Some of North America’s most promising young pianists will perform in Greenville this month, giving audiences a chance to hear musicians who are already winning major competitions while many are still in middle and high school.

A select group of students from the Palmetto International Piano Festival will perform a free concert July 14 at the Sigal Music Museum, offering a Greenville showcase during the festival’s two-week residency at Erskine College in Due West.

The concert comes as the festival reaches two milestones: its largest class yet and, for the first time, a tuition-free experience for every participant, thanks to an anonymous donor who covered the festival’s $2,500 tuition.

“If I had had that opportunity when I was their age, I would have been over the moon,” festival founder and director Amy Gustafson said.

Founded in 2020, the festival is an intensive training program for exceptional pianists ages 10 to 17. Admission is by audition, and many participants are already winners of state, national and even international competitions.

This year’s class includes 25 boarding students from across the United States and Canada, with participants traveling from several states including New York, Texas, Florida and Iowa. Their days begin around 7 a.m. and stretch until about 9 p.m., filled with private lessons, master classes, ensemble rehearsals, practice sessions and performances.

Each student receives five private lessons in addition to master classes led by internationally recognized guest artists.

Among them is pianist Gabriela Martinez, well known to many Upstate audiences through her appearances with the Greenville Symphony Orchestra. Martinez will present a solo recital July 9, while faculty members will perform together in a showcase concert July 8, both at Erskine College.

Sigal Museum performance

Every student performs publicly during the festival. The July 14 Sigal Music Museum recital will feature a select group chosen for an honors performance, while the festival concludes July 17 with a recital showcasing the entire class at Erskine.

Gustafson, who is based in central Pennsylvania and also directs a summer piano festival in Spain, conceived the Palmetto International Piano Festival after performing at Erskine College and recognizing the potential of its performance facilities.

She believes the quiet setting of Due West helps young musicians concentrate on the demanding work of refining their artistry.

“The students love it,” she said. “It’s just such a great opportunity to focus on what they’re working on.”

Gustafson hopes the festival’s audience will continue to grow, particularly in Greenville.

“I think the one piece that we want to work on is just building community,” she said. “We want people from the area to know that this exists and that we’d love to have them come listen and enjoy the music with us.”